Volkswagen’s T-Cross had just launched on South African soil, but VW has a new kid on the way which has been available overseas since 2017.
The new Golf-based Volkswagen T-Roc is set to launch this June.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Volkswagen’s major vehicle launch for 2020 will be streamed via a digital event.
The German carmaker will introduce its compact SUV, the T-Roc, via the a live stream on Thursday, 17 June 2020.
Volkswagen T-Roc digital premiere in South Africa has been labeled as VW’s biggest launch of the year. A ‘hard’ launch will follow up in November 2020.
Martina Biene, in charge of the Volkswagen Brand said: “We are very excited to debut the T-Roc in South Africa through a digital event which will be a first for the South African automotive industry.”
The T-Roc occupies the space between the T-Cross and the Tiguan in its SUV range and completes the ‘T-SUV’ range in locally which currently consists of the T-Cross, Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace, and the Touareg.
Pricing and specification details will be announced at the digital premiere with the car arriving locally from November 2020.
T-Roc SUV: Where it fits into the local Volkswagen SUV line-up
The motto and purpose of the new T-Roc SUV is to “Make a sporty statement and leave a lasting impression right from the start.” Fashionable yummy-mummies and other trendy urbanites are the target market for the sexy new T-Roc.
The 4.23-metre T-Roc is longer than the T-Cross and slightly shorter than the Tiguan. The T-Roc is decidedly heavier than the T-Cross too, weighing in at a hefty-ish 1400 kilos. The overall appearance of the T-Roc, says Volkswagen, is determined by “its striking design with sporty coupé silhouette and off-road elements.”
Engine choices overseas include a de-tuned turbo-petrol 2.0-litre Golf GTI engine with a meaty 140kW and 320Nm. The rest of the engine line-up will probably look similar to what the Tiguan has on offer in SA.
Off-road credentials
Volkswagen reckons the optional 4MOTION all-wheel drive will enable the T-Roc to venture off-road, but I can’t imagine that this stylish city SUV would want to stray too far away from a dirt or gravel surface in fair condition. 
The T-Roc’s five-seater interior is said to be more spacious than the T-Cross. The luggage compartment is bigger than its smaller sibling’s, offering a voluminous 455 litres which can be increased to fit 1 290 litres’ worth of luggage, if you fold the rear seats flat.
Pricing for the least expensive T-Cross in the UK is just over 21 000 GBP, which translates to around R481 000. South Africa’s weak Rand will probably result in the T-Roc costing more or less the same. We expect pricing to fall within the R400 000 – R600 000 range, since the entry-level VW Tiguan 1.4TFI Trendline costs from R458 100.
Overseas markets will also be receiving the sexy new T-Roc Cabriolet for topless-SUV fun. NetbuzzAfrica.com has contacted Volkswagen SA to find out whether the cabrio would be coming to SA and we’re hoping to update our readers with their response later after the launch.
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